Norwich mother whose life was devastated by NHS errors awarded £1.5m in compensation

PUBLISHED: 12:57 16 May 2018 | UPDATED: 17:23 16 May 2018 Ginny Atchison. Picuture: JMW JMW A mother whose life was devastated by a serious spinal condition that is frequently misdiagnosed by the NHS has been awarded a seven-figure compensation settlement by the county’s busiest hospital and community health trust. Ginny Atchison. Picuture: JMW Virginia Atchison, who lives in Norwich, suffered a permanent spinal injury called cauda equina syndrome (CES) after blunders by NHS staff meant she was denied urgent surgery that would have allowed her to make a complete recovery. Ms Atchison, 45, was left with permanent nerve damage causing significant pain in both legs and poor bowel and bladder control, frequently leading to incontinence. She has to use a catheter every day, has lost all feeling in parts of her saddle and has lost all sexual function. She can also only walk for short distances and had to give up work. Now, she has been handed £1.5m by the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and Norfolk Community Health and Care (NCHC) to help get her life back on track. The mother-of-one said: “My injury has robbed me of so many things and I don’t want that to keep happening to other people. I’m relieved that I will now have financial security to cope with my disabilities but the clock can never be turned back and that’s something I have to live with. “I’ve lost a lot independence and dignity due to my misdiagnosis but if I can… [Read full story]